• New Order: Blue Monday
    Misheard lyric 1: I see a ship in the harbour, anchored at shallow bay
    Misheard lyric 2: I see a ship in the harbour, echoed at shallow bay
    Published lyric: I see a ship in the harbour, I can and shall obey
    Comment: This is one of the few times where the misheard lyric (1) makes far more sense the orginal.
  • The Vapors: Turning Japanese 1
    Misheard lyric 1: Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
    Published lyric: Everyone avoids me like a psyched lone ranger
    Comment: Doesn’t make too much sense either way.

    Misheard lyric 2: Everyone around me is a Toto stranger

    Published lyric: Everyone around me is a total stranger
    Comment: We are not sure we understand the meaning of Toto stranger, but then again ‘psyched lone ranger’ is not exactly clear either. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding between Toto and Tonto (the lone ranger’s partner).

  • Blondie: Rapture
    Misheard lyric: Face to face, sadly solitude, and it’s finger-fucking, twenty-four hour shopping, in Rapture
    Published lyric: Face to face, sadly solitude, and it’s finger-popping, twenty-four hour shopping, in Rapture
    Comment: ‘Popping’ rhymes a little better, but given the colloquial meaning of finger fucking to mean female masturbation, this would seem to suit the lyrics of ‘face to face, sadly solitude’.
  • Cars: Gary Numan
    Misheard lyric: Here in my car, the engine breaks down
    Published lyric: Here in my car, the image breaks down
  • Madonna: Burning up
    Misheard lyric: I deserve the Inquisition
    Published lyric: I deserve the imposition
  • Madonna: Material World
    Misheard lyric: Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me, I think they’re all gay
    Published lyric: Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me, I think they’re OK
  • Kate Bush: Wuthering Heights
    Misheard lyric: Heathcliff, bring me my coffee (cafe)
    Published lyric: Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy
  • Toni Basil: Mickey
    Misheard lyric: It’s guys like you Mickey, I want to do Mickey, do Mickey
    Published lyric: It’s guys like you Mickey, oh what you do Mickey, do Mickey